Today is Black Friday, a day of unabashed wild consumerism increasingly pressed up against the second biggest holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. Below are five tips to navigate the shopping day.
1. Never Break Down and Pay Full Price. Don’t pay full price for anything on Black Friday. No matter what part of the deal or what kind of add-ons are involved, Black Friday is not the day to pay full price for anything.
2. Comparison Shop. It may be Black Friday but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t comparison shop. The deals are created to attract customers on a day of deals so always compare prices no matter what day it is.
3. Do Not Open a Store Credit Card. Yes there are nice deals and percentages off for opening a store credit card. But in the long run these cards are trouble and to be avoided at all costs. Dance with the card you walked in the store with.
4. Read the Fine Print. There is a reason some deals sound to good to be true. If there are too many stipulations or too much fine print keep it moving. If that “must have” item has lots of fine print be sure to read all of it. With regard to matching offers you REALLY need to break out the magnifying glass and read.
5. Know the Cost of Your Target Item. If you have an ipone use the Red Laser app to find out what the prices of your target items are. The entire trick of Black Friday is making consumers believe they have found a great deal. Make sure that’s true by double checking all prices on your favorite smart phone.
About the Author
